Our Life
by TheAceofAll
Summary: This is the story AFTER the redemption story. Ankain has been redeemed by the love of his young son Luke, and now they must begin a new life together. Together, they must brave the demons of the past as well as the uncertainty of the future. Anakin must come to terms with all he has done and become a father to Luke. A fluffy father son story, and all the cast will be accounted for
1. Chapter 1

This story is all about what happens AFTER the redemption story. It's something I have always wondered about and felt it wasn't really elaborated on. The danger has pasted (mostly) and Anakin and his young son Luke have to start anew. Luke is almost-four and, threw his love (as usual) brought his father back from the darkness. In this story, I will elaborate about how he was redeemed and account for the whole cast. WARNING this is a very fluffy story, so be ready.

As always, all rights and characters to George Lucas and co. (aside from whatever OC's I may come up with)

Anakin set the coordinates of the chosen planet into the shuttle and made the jump to hyperspace. He breathed deeply, and leaned back into the cushioned chair. This shuttle had belonged to some traveling dignitary, and was "borrowed" by them for an inconspicuous escape. Anakin's head began to throb, things had all happened so quickly, he hadn't the time to truly process his thoughts. Just this morning, he was Darth Vader, Dark lord of the Sith. He sighed, things had changed so fast, yet he had no regrets. Returning to the light was the greatest thing to ever happen to him. Well, maybe not the greatest thing, he could think of two people who would win out for that spot. In fact, he could sense one of them approaching now.

"Daddy?" Anakin smiled as his almost-four-year old son scurried into the cockpit. His hair was disheveled from sleep and his onesie pajama set was slightly wrinkled. He clutched a small stuffed bear to his chest, gripping it with tiny, stubby hands. The sight pulled at Anakin's heart.

He turned his chair to face him, "What's the matter, little one?" He said with a warm smile. It was late, past 0200, and Luke, normally was a very sound sleeper (at least in the month they had been together).

Luke scurried over to Anakin's knee and reached up, silently asking to be picked up. Anakin scooped his son into his arms and cuddled him against his chest. "I had a bad dream, Daddy." Luke whispered, a slight quiver in his voice.

Anakin held Luke tight, slightly rocking him, "A bad dream? What was it about?"

Luke looked on the verge of tears, "I had a dream the Bad Man came back; he was hurting you Daddy!"

Anakin stroked Luke's hair, whispering quietly "Luke, you don't have to be afraid. The Bad man is gone now, gone forever. He won't hurt you, me, or anyone else ever again." He kissed Luke lightly on the head, his blond hair so soft and silky. "You were so brave today, you helped me stop him. You, Luke Skywalker, are a hero. All before your fourth birthday." He smiled affectionately at his clinging son.

Luke looked up into Anakin's blue eyes, "You think I was brave?"

"The bravest boy I have ever seen."

Luke smiled that beautiful bright smile, the one he got from his mother, "I guess I was pretty brave, but you were brave too. You used your laser sword and beat the Bad Man and he exploded, SWOOSH!" Luke made a sweeping gesture with his arms, demonstrating what he saw.

Anakin laughed, "Yes son, I guess we were both brave today. But I think you were braver. I should have done that to Palpatine years ago, but I didn't have the courage. Only by meeting you did I find the power to finally stop him." It was true too, when he met Luke just one month ago, things had changed for him completely. He could see in his mind the moment when his old life ended and a new one began. His star ship, _The Destroyer_ , was running a mercy mission within the Outer Rim. A massive virus had hit the area, quickly growing into an epidemic. The virus primarily targeted people over the age of 16, leaving many children temporarily orphaned. Vader's flag ship had been used as a temporary housing for the children, and that was when it happened. When he met his son. Vader had just returned from consulting with the Grand Moff of the sector and was disembarking from his shuttle. At the same time, another group of children were being unloaded from the planet, one of which was a Luke Skywalker. Luke caught sight of Vader, and his features lit up into the most wonder-filled smile. He had broken free from the caretakers and sprinted to Vader as fast as he tiny legs would carry him. He reached out and attached himself to Vader's leg.

"W-What do you think you're doing?!"

"Hi! I'm Luke Skywalker and you're my daddy." The little one said simply and pressed his face against Vader's leg. Without a doubt, that was the most shocking moment in his life. Time stood still, the galaxy stopped spinning. Only one thought went through his mind, ' _my child'_.

"Daddy? Daddy!" Luke's sweet voice brought Anakin back to the present. He looked down at Luke, his little angle.

"What's the matter?"

Luke chewed his lower lip in a rather adorable way, "Ca-Can I sleep in here with you? Please?"

Anakin smiled fondly at his son. He knew small children should get used to sleeping alone, but so much happened today, and to be honest, he need the warmth of his son as much as he needed his father. "Alright, for tonight, you can sleep here."

Luke made a little cry of joy and scooted off his father's lap. He waddled out of the room quickly and returned a moment later with a blanket and pillow in hand. He pulled the copilot seat near his father and hoisted himself up. He made himself comfortable in the plush chair and Anakin chuckled. His son was just so precious. "Comfy little one?" He asked as he reached and stroked Luke's hair. Luke nodded eagerly and began to settle down, adjusting the blanket properly and retrieving his stuffed animal. "Luke," Anakin said, "May I ask you something? How did you know I was your father when you first saw me?"

Luke looked up at his father endearingly, "I felt it in here," he pointed to his heart, "and I had dreams about you, only you weren't all dark; you were like you now. When I saw you, I first felt all the dark, but then I felt the light too. I knew I was around my daddy then. And then, I saw you and I thought, ' _that's him!_ ' and I started running cause I wanted you to meet me."

' _He felt it through the Force_ ,' Anakin realized. "I'm glad you did. When your mommy died, I felt so… sad that I let the dark take me fully. I didn't think there was any light left. Bu you, my wonderful boy, saw it where I couldn't. It was your love that let me escape from the prison I created."

Luke flushed and giggled, so happy that he could help his daddy. He had been so sad when he saw how mush dark was around his daddy, but he could always feel the light too. And after a week or so together, Luke felt the light growing, and the dark start going away. Seeing his daddy all better now, without and dark made Luke super happy. "Why did you go to the dark in the first place?"

Anakin sighed audibly, "Luke, that is a long story, and not one I am proud of." He adjusted himself in the seat to hide his fidgeting, "Well, it all started when your mommy told me she was pregnant. I was so happy, and I was so excited. Only later did I start having dreams; dreams about your mommy… dying. I was very…scared, sweetheart. I loved your mommy so, so much. She was my world." Luke looked up at him and sniffled gently. Anakin reached out and took his hand, "She would have loved you so much. In fact, I know she loves you with all her heart. She is with us now, in our hearts, minds, and in the Force. But my goodness, she wanted you." Anakin's eyes welled with tears, "She told me you would be a boy; she said she could feel it. I remember… She was so excited to be a mommy. Told me you were a blessing." The tears began to fall in full force, form both Skywalker's. Anakin's voice began to crack, "Luke, I… I promise to tell you more about your mommy latter, but right now… It's too much right now." Luke's little hand squeezed his father's sweetly. "I'm sorry, Luke, I know I should have told you about mommy a long time ago, and you should hear about her now, and you deserve the truth. The whole story about what happened; why I went into the dark. It's just hard, your mom… I miss her. I miss her so much."

Luke reached up and whipped the tears away, "It's ok Daddy, don't be sad."

Anakin smiled and dried his tears, "Thank you sweetheart."

Luke resettled himself within the blankets and made himself comfortable. His eyes began to droop. "Goodnight Luke," Anakin said softly.

"Night-night Daddy." Luke whispered before falling into a deep sleep.

Anakin leaned back in his chair, and began to meditate. He let his mind open up to the Light Side of the Force, relishing in the newfound comfort it brought. Only by knowing the darkness could he truly applicate the warmth and soothing nature of the light. The Light… part of him had a hard time believing he had ever shunned it. He had only embraced it fully a few hours ago, yet he could not imagine spending a moment without its gentle presence within the back of his mind, like lukewarm rain falling on his soul. Part of that, he realized, was the soothing presence of his son. Ever sense he had discovered his child, he had been slowly teetering away from the darkness. The sweet, kind, soul of Luke Skywalker had slowly began to heal his tattered psyche. After meeting Luke that first time in the hanger bay, he had quietly taken the boy to his care. Dark Side or not, Luke was his child, period. Moreover, Luke was incredibly Force sensitive, and could be made an incredible asset. At least, that was what he told himself. Above all though, Luke had to be kept hidden from his Master. Palpatine would destroy the boy completely, or worse, replace Vader with his own child.

Luke stayed in his quarters privately, using droids to watch over the boy while he was incapacitated. Luke never complained and seemed overjoyed whenever he returned. He would often refuse to go to sleep until he saw his father and could hug him goodnight (at first the hugs were one sided, but slowly they were returned with earnest). Over time, Vader could feel the darkness edging away, but despite himself, he didn't care. Being around Luke, his child, made him _happy_ , a feeling he had not known in so long. Within a week, he was going out of his way to come and see Luke in the day. Killings in all departments dropped dramatically and the atmosphere of the ship in general was more relaxed. However, this was not to last. It did not take long of Palpatine to learn of Luke's presence and take action. Very severe action.

Palpatine had arrived unannounced and planned to kill Vader himself, destroy the traitor and receive a new, perfectly corruptible apprentice all in one go. When Vader had felt Palpatine's presence, he immediately went to Luke. Thankfully, he arrived in time to intercept the Royal Guards that had come to remove Luke before their master's arrival. He dispatched them quickly, and, not a moment later, the Emperor arrived in his full decrepit form. Vader needed no introductions nor did he attempt any explanations. Three guards were dead and he stood in protection of a little boy who could have been his double. At that moment, alliances were clear and formed, and the Emperor was ready to kill. They fought, Vader with his red saber and Palpatine with his Force Lightening. The fight seemed to go on for hours, but in reality only lasted about five minutes. Despite Palpatine's age, he was fast and strong, nearly overpowering Vader, yet he would not give in. When Palpatine had gone for Vader's life support system, the fight took a much darker turn. Vader fell to his knees, the agony intense, far greater than the Burning of Mustaphar. Darkness crept over his vision and threatened to take him completely. Suddenly, he heard a sweet little voice from behind, "Please Daddy! Please don't go!" And it was at that moment, Darth Vader was destroyed and Anakin Skywalker returned in full force. He called to the Light Side of the Force and it responded, welcoming him like an old friend. He found the strength to get to his feet, despite the flow of lightning. Palpatine's surprise caused him to pause for a moment, and that was all Anakin needed. He raised the blade and destroyed the Sith, and everything they symbolized. He breathed deeply and that was when he realized that his life support system had failed complete. The whole system had shut off, yet he was still drawing breath. More than that, he felt his hands, yes _hands_ , move against the leather of his gloves. He could feel the cold of the metal floor through his boots and even felt the movement of his flesh and blood toes. Part of him too scared to believe it, he cautiously moved to remove his helmet. He turned to the reflective metal walls and saw himself, his 28 year old fully healed self. His dark blond hair flowed to his shoulders and his blue eyes shinned like star in the night sky. He was whole again.

"Daddy," Luke giggled as he tugged on his cape, "you're so pretty."

Luke's words brought Anakin out of his stupor and, wordlessly, he fell to his knees and scoped Luke up into his arms. Tears fell from both sets of blue eyes as Anakin whispered again and again, "I love you, I love you." And he meant it. He meant it with all his heart.

…

A beeping indicating their impending arrival brought Anakin out of the meditative trance he had entered. He glanced at his chrono, 0800 already. He gently roused Luke, waking him just enough to get him into a sitting position and properly strap him in (despite being too small to actually fit into the straps). Anakin strapped himself in as well and prepared for revision. It was time to begin their new life.

Like? Comment, review always appreciated thanks


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin guided the shuttle down onto the planet. He had to make quick decision when they were escaping to where they would go. He picked the planet Arnu I; it was in the Outer Rim and had very low Imperial activity. Through a large mining operation, the planet had a fairly large population focused mainly in small towns dotted throughout the landscape. The planet had a very warm climate and was full of oceans and lakes. In short, it was very much like Naboo.

Luke's eyes never left the viewpoint as they descended. Anakin had almost forgotten, as a Tatooine native, this would be Luke's first time seeing any significant body of water. He thought back to his first time seeing a swimming pool shortly after arriving at the Jedi Temple. He chuckled to himself thinking of how Obi-Wan had to almost beg the nine year old Anakin to get into the water. 'Obi-Wan', that was a topic he wasn't ready to confront. Once he had called him brother, but the last time he saw him… No, this was not the time indeed.

Once they landed, Luke was quick to gather his clothes and toys into his small bag; so excited to go and see the new world. Anakin smiled at his enthusiasm and gathered the few things he had grabbed from the ship. As far as anyone knew, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine had both perished by the hands of the three 'treacherous' guards. Vader was able to kill the three before succumbing to his own injuries. Part of Anakin hated the lie, but he knew in this case it was a necessary evil. Moreover, before leaving h had made some critical anonymous calls, alerting certain senators to the new development. HE had long known that the group brought together by The Delegation of 2000 had remained in contact, waiting for an opportunity to move against the empire. Personally, Anakin still had little faith in a republic, but it had been Padme's dream and he would support that even now.

Before leaving, he grabbed the few clothes he could find in his size, an unassigned comm link, and a list of his most trusted contacts. Through a few carefully worded calls, and some light force manipulations, he got falsified identification for both him and Luke as well as enough credits to get them started. He also left a sealed note for Owen and Beru when they recovered, informing them of the safety of their nephew and how to contact them. He had nothing against Owen and Beru, if fact he was very grateful for all they had done for Luke. He knew Luke loved them both, and they had every right to see him. However, Luke was his child, and needed to be with him.

Together, Luke and Anakin departed from the ship. They had landed in the closest town, a place called Nortt. The place was bustling in the early morning with people going to work in the mines, shops, and children running to the small school. After paying the docking charge for their shuttle, Anakin and Luke set off to find a place to stay. The main street was full of shops and apartment buildings, but it was proving difficult to find one with a vacancy. Luke followed along his father without complaint, totting his little bag behind him. While walking, they received many questioning looks from the locals; apparently they were not used to seeing outsiders.

Luke didn't say anything, but Anakin could feel that his son's legs were beginning to bother him. He turned and scooped Luke into his arms. Luke giggled and smiled as his father placed him on his shoulders. "Thanks Daddy," Luke said as he held onto Anakin's dark blond hair.

"No trouble little one," Anakin responded. "Luke, are you getting hungry?"

"Yeah."

"I see a nice looking restaurant up ahead, let's get some breakfast."

"Ok, Daddy, can I get choco-waffles and blue milk?"

Anakin smiled, remembering that meal from his own childhood. His mother had made that for him on his birthday…his mother. That was another path he couldn't go down right now. "Well sweetheart, I don't know if they will have blue milk and choco-waffles, but I think we may be able to get something tasty."

"Promise?"

Anakin laughed, "Yes, you have earned something extra good. So long as you eat your fruit too."

"Aww," Luke whined, "but Daddy, it's yucky."

Anakin sighed, getting Luke to eat was the one of the few difficult aspect to him. "Luke, if you want your treat you have to eat your fruit." He pulled Luke off his shoulders to look at him in the eyes, "You need to eat the healthy stuff, so you can grow big and strong, like Daddy." That would normally work, Luke always wanted to be like his father.

"Well, I wanna be like daddy…"

"I know your mommy didn't eat all her fruits and veggies when she was little, and do you know what happened?"

"What?"

Anakin smiled, imagining the look Padme would give him if she herd what he was about to say, "She was supper short."

Luke's eyes lit up and he began to laugh, "She was?"

"Oh yes, I had to bend down to kiss her."

Luke made a face of disgust and ducked away, "Daddy! That's gross!"

Anakin leaned forward, "It is not! I loved your mommy and so we did kiss on occasion."

"It's still gross!" Luke cried.

"Is not."

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!" At this point both Luke and Anakin had burst out laughing. Anakin smiled, he had distracted Luke away from the issue about food and onto something else before he got too upset. Food was still going to be an uphill battle, that was certain, but Luke was a sweet boy and all he could do was his best. 'If only Padme was here, she would know what to do.' That thought reverberated around him, echoing within his mind. More than anything else, he wished that his Angel was here today. She should be the one alive, and he should be the one dead. He would give anything to see her again, to have her stand next to him and watch their son grow up.

"Daddy?" Luke pulled at the collar of his shirt, "You're feeling sad about something." It wasn't a question. Anakin had known that they had formed a force bond, but he hadn't truly realized how powerful it was becoming. Luke had sensed his emotions and reacted to them immediately.

Anakin cuddled his son, what a sweet boy he had! "Your right Luke, I was thinking about how much I missed your mother. I just wish she could be here with us right now."

"I wish mommy was here too," Luke whispered, "but I'm happy that we are together now though. Before, we didn't even know about each other and the Bad Man was still around. But now things are better than before. Aunt Beru always said that you should always try and look on the bright side whenever you can."

Anakin kissed Luke on the forehead, "Your aunt was very smart. Growing up, I always had a hard time seeing anything positive about the world. And you are right, we are together and that is a wonderful thing. I am so happy to have you with me, my son."

Luke smiled brightly, wrapping his little arms around his father's neck and hugging tightly.

Anakin and Luke arrived at the small restaurant. The place looked relatively old, with small, warm booths and a bar sitting few patrons. The smell of different foods cooking was heavy in the air. The sign read 'Seat Yourself', so Anakin and Luke took to a booth in the far corner near a window. Anakin placed their bags on one side and slid next to Luke on the other. It was a tight fit, with Anakin being so large, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It turns out they did indeed have choco-waffles and blue milk, apparently they have a few Tatooine natives in the area (being relatively near the old dust ball) and serve a few choice dishes from the planet. He selected something for himself when a young waitress appeared, "May I take your order?"

"Choco-waffles and blue milk!" Luke cried out.

The waitress chucked and looked at Anakin questionably, "And a side of Red Fruit."

Luke moaned and the waitress chuckled while writing the order down, "And for you sir?"

"Bantha steak and eggs for me please, and a cup of café."

"I'll put your order in right away, and would the young man like me to bring over a coloring pad and some colored pens?" The waitress asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Luke cried from his corner.

"Manors, Luke."

"Please," he added quietly.

The watress laughed out loud, "I'll get that for you right away."

"Daddy?" Luke asked, "What will our new house look like?"

"I'm not sure sweetheart, we haven't found it yet. But I promise it will be very nice and we will be happy there."

Luke seemed content with that answer and began asking questions about the planet they were on.

"What was all that blue stuff all over?"

"That was water. Most of this planet is covered in it."

Luke looked completely astonished, "How'd they get so much?"

"Not all planets are like Tatooine, some places have lots and lots of water naturally. This planet is very much like your mommy's home world Naboo. They have lots of lakes and rivers. I even saw a waterfall when I was there."

"What's a waterfall?"

Anakin kissed Luke's head, "When lots of water flows, it's called a river. When a river meats a steep drop, it falls down in a very loud, very pretty way. The water rushes so fast and it's amazing to see."

Luke hung on every word, "Daddy, can we go see a waterfall?"

"After we find a place and get settled, we'll go find one."

Luke's eyes lit up with that promise. Just then, the waitress returned with a few coloring mats and a pack of red, green, blue, and yellow pencils. Luke quickly turned the mat over, not at all interested in the little puzzles it held. He began drawing something on the blank underside, and shielded its view from his father.

"Can I see Luke?"

"No!" Luke responded rather loudly and went back to coloring.

Anakin sighed, Luke could be so damn stubborn. _'Must be from his mother's side,'_ he thought ideally.

A few moments later, Luke pulled back from his drawing. The picture showed four stick figures of different sizes. "See?" Luke pointed, "It's you and me. And over here is Aunt Beur and Uncle Owen." He then pointed to a small scribble on the top of the picture, "Here is mommy watching over us."

Tears began to well up in Anakin's eyes, "That is wonderful Luke, can we hang this up in our new house?"

Luke seemed very pleased by his father's reaction, "Okay Daddy."

The waitress reappeared with trays of food in her hands. She placed the food in front of the two and quietly slipped away. Luke was about to dig into his choco-waffles when Anakin pulled the food away, "Not until you eat your Red Fruit."

Luke pouted and crossed his arms, "I don't wanna."

"Luke," Anakin chastised, "You need to eat them." Luke shook his head and closed his mouth stubbornly. Anakin thought quickly and came up with a plan. Checking to make sure no one was watching, he levitated a spoon into the Red Fruit and scooped some up. Luke loved it when his father used the force and his mouth fell open with awe. At that moment, Anakin swooped down and get the food into Luke's mouth.

"Daddy!" Luke said with a mouth full of food, "You twiked me!"

"Yes I did," Anakin said with a smile, "But it's too late so eat your fruit."

Luke grumbled to himself but still ate his fruit. No matter how much he didn't like it, his daddy had won and he had to eat it.

Anakin and Luke ate quickly and before long, were ready to pay the check. Luke and Anakin left the restaurant quietly together. Anakin slipped Luke's drawing into his bag, determined to keep it forever. Luke was right, Padme was watching over them. They continued forward, not looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Thanks for the nice reviews, they really mean a lot!

Sorry for taking so long, power was out in my area for a few days :0

On a different note, I am not really a fan of the Star Wars EU, and therefore won't really include it in this story (or any really). I may occasionally borrow characters, but no more than that. Moreover, I plan to include some Jedi in this story. I may use some from the comics/EU but I plan to also make up my own OC's. Just want to give far warning, however this is really long off. Thanks )

Anakin and Luke tugged forward along the town's main street. The single sun was getting higher overhead and Anakin's chrono read 1100. Despite their travels, they still hadn't found any place to stay. Most of the apartments were either full or 'not rented to unknown people'. The last part sat strangely with Anakin. He knew some worlds were less hospitable to newcomers than others, but this was getting odd. Moreover, if this continued, he and Luke would have to find somewhere else to settle. That was a prospect Anakin was not looking forward to. It was difficult to find such a beautiful planet with little Imperial influence, let alone one so far from the dreaded Imperial Center.

Anakin's mood dramatically increased when he noticed a speeder repair shop with a 'help wanted' sign in the window. If there was one thing he knew, it was machines. He had been repairing speeders (and the occasional podracer) since he could hold the tools. Anakin grabbed Luke's hand and lead him inside the shop.

Inside, a human man in his late 40's was bent over a speeder. Anakin could since his frustration, seemingly revolving around some problem repairing the engine. One glance over his hunched shoulder revealed the problem. Unknown to the man, a sparkplug had come lose. Anakin cleared his throat to announce his presence. The man turned, visibly annoyed at being interrupted. "What do you want?" he asked quickly.

Anakin scowled, off-put by his rudeness. 'If he spoke to me like that last week, he would be dead.' Despite the attitude, Anakin spoke clearly, "I came to inquire about the job opening." The man looked at him appraisingly, but before he could speak Anakin pointed to the speeder, "The spark plug is loose, that's your problem."

The man looked completely shocked, "Well… I guess you're right. Um, thank you. The names Onden Mik'le, I own this shop." He extended his hand in greeting.

Anakin reached out and shook it, "It's nice to meet you, I am Anakin Skywalker and this is my son Luke."

Luke looked up at the man and waved quietly. He then sat on the ground and began rummaging through his bag.

"Nice to meet you both. To be honest, you're the first person to ask about the position in the last month. If you think you have the ability to fix these speeders, than you're hired. Job pays 20 credits an hour and you get the fith day of the cycle off. Any questions?"

Anakin blinked a few times, surprised by the sudden change in attitude. "Well, thank you. I really appreciate this. May I ask, do you know anywhere I can find a place for rent? All the places we have visited turned us down."

Onden sighed audibly, "I'm not surprised, and people are not very trusting of outsiders these days."

"Why?"

"The local mining operation is run by one company, Galactic Ore, without them, most of the town would be out of the job. In fact, most of the planet would be out of the job, through them, almost the whole population was build. However, there have been… stories, rumors really about spies arriving at other locations. The spies would try and infiltrate the town, become a part of the locals. Then, they would get dirt. Find out who is cheating on who, who owes money to who, who has addiction problems. After they knew the information, they would attempt to, well to put it bluntly, blackmail the people. Force miners to work for next to nothing, make shop owners raise their prices so high people end up in poverty." Anakin gasped but the man kept talking, "Apparently this is a new strategy by the company's new owner. Drive the people down so much they can essentially enslave the workers, and for that reason, folks are not very trusting of new faces in town."

Anakin felt his blood begin to boil. He had seen similar strategies executed on other worlds and they were often successful unless the senate stepped in. Unfortunately, Palpatine seemed to relish in these situations, allowing them to go on unchecked. Why would he care if millions were forced into hardship if he got cheap supplies for his many projects? Anakin tried to calm himself, even as Vader he hated these situations. After living as a slave for the first decade of his life, he could not stand the idea of anyone forced into that life. "Sir, why do you trust me? I am no spy for this company, yet you couldn't know that."

Onden smiled lightly, "From the rumors, the spies are the kids of the board members, rich little brats from Coruscant that have don't know the definition of labor and are masters of gossiping and blackmailing their peers. You sir, I can see it in the way you stand. You know what work is, what hardship is. Plus, you have your little one. None of those little 'spies' could go a day without a nanny-bot tending to their youngling." Onden gestured towards Luke, who had fished out his favorite model X-Wing fighter and was flying is around in circles, engaging an invisible enemy. Anakin smiled fondly, love pulling at his heart and evaporating any anger he felt towards the slavers. Luke had such a calming effect.

"Thank you sir, I'm really not a spy, I assure you. My son and I are just looking for someone to settle."

Onden nodded, "Go up the street; Kiszer Apartments has a few vacancies. The rooms are very clean and fairly priced. Tell them you just got a job here and they will rent you one."

Anakin smiled and shook the man's hand, "Thank you very much sir, we greatly appreciate it. Come alone Luke." Luke waved goodbye and continued to fly his little ship in the air. Anakin and Luke continued up the road, looking for the apartments recommended to them. Anakin turned to his son, "Luke, what are you flying?"

"Daddy it's a new X-Wing fighter. He's flying to stop the big spaceship, he has to his it just right."

Anakin laughed, "What's his target?"

"He's got to hit the special spot, only two meters big."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, "Really? That's pretty small. I hope the Force is with your pilot."

"The Force is always with him."

Anakin lent down and ruffled Luke's hair, "You're right sweetheart, the Force is always with him, and it's always with us."

…

Anakin and Luke arrived at the Kisser apartment building around 1300 hours. The lobby was well lit and an older woman sat at the front desk, working on a computer terminal. Her name tag read C. Gallon. She looked up at the two and smiled kindly, "May I help you?"

"Yes, I just began work at the speeder repair shop down the street and was told by the owner you had some vacancies." Anakin spoke clearly, remembering the recommendation about mentioning his new job.

The woman looked somewhat surprised, but recovered quickly. "Very well, we have a few two bedroom units available for rent. The rooms are unfurnished and come with a computer terminal, kitchen, and full fresher. The rate is 1200 credits a month."

Anakin nodded, it sounded reasonable, "May I see the room?"

The woman nodded, "Of course sir."

The woman led the two upstairs to the third floor. The room was at the end of the hall, number 323 and was well done with a light crème paintjob. The door opened up to a large living room with plenty of space for furniture and dark wood floors. The kitchen was open to the living space and seated on the left wall complete with all the needed appliances. Without a doubt though, the most incredible feature was the large windows lining the rear wall. The windows let in an incredible amount of light and allowed you to see the lake located about ½ a kilometer away. Luke immediately ran up to them to see the water and the rest of the view. His eyes lit up and he smiled brightly at the sight. Anakin grinned at Luke's joy, his heart swelling to burst. He left his son to his observations and was lead to the right side of the apartment where two bedrooms of equal sizes were located. On the opposite side housed a full sized fresher complete with a water shower and bath. When returning to the main room, Luke ran up to his father, "Daddy, the water! Look at all the water! It's so pretty, and sparkly in the sun."

Anakin ruffled Luke's hair, "I see it son, and I agree it's very pretty." He turned to Mrs. Gallows, "We'll take it," he said simply.

…

By the end of the day, Anakin and Luke had formally rented the apartment and were settling in. After signing all the paperwork (and falsifying some information), the two set off to purchase some basic furniture and essentials as well as eat. Luke was difficult at lunch, but was persuaded after some efforts. Once they arrived at the nearby store, they browsed for proper furniture. Luke all but begged for the child's bed shaped like a speeder, but Anakin was able to compromise with a simple wood bed with stars and ships carved intricately into the bed frame. Anakin purchased a large bed for himself, some living room furniture, and a table to eat at. The prices were reasonable and the furniture installed that very night. By 2100 hours, they had set themselves up quite comfortably. Now however, was very much past Luke's bedtime.

Anakin scooped his son up into his arms and carried him into his new room. "But Daddy," Luke suppressed a yawn, "I'm not sleepy."

"Oh yes you are little man. We had a big day, and you skipped your afternoon nap." Anakin tucked Luke under the soft sheets and kissed his forehead tenderly.

"Daddy, will you tell me about the Jedi?"

Anakin frowned, "Where did you hear about them?"

Luke flushed, "I heard you talking once… when you were all dark… you said you would destroy the last Jedi…"

Anakin blushed and looked away. Part of him wanted to try and avoid this conversation, but another part said that it had to happen. Luke needed to know and putting it off would not really help the issue. He sighed and took a deep breath. "The Jedi were, well are I suppose, a group of people devoted to the use of the Light side of the Force. When I was a little older than you, I was taken to become a Jedi and I eventually become a Jedi Knight." Luke held onto every word. "The Jedi were good people, and they tried to help all over the galaxy."

"What happened to them?"

Anakin swallowed, "Remember when I told you I did some very bad stuff? This is one of the main one's. You see sweetheart, I had a hard time being a Jedi sometimes. The Jedi… cannot have families. That means that we can't get married or have little ones."

Luke gasped, "But Daddy, you got married and have me and you're in the light! How come they said it was bad?"

"They thought that if you are attached to someone and they become threatened… you could fall to the dark. Luke, please understand they were not really wrong. I told you I was scared about your mommy… and the Bad Man was there to take advantage of that. You see, he had almost everyone in the galaxy fooled that he was a good person and I trusted him. When he said that if I worked for him… helped him… he would help save your mommy. Sweetheart, this was the worst decision of my life. When you agree to go to the dark… it's like gravity, it won't let you escape. I helped the Bad Man destroy the Jedi, and that's where I stayed. That is, until I met you."

"Daddy I don't get it, you were saved by love."

"Luke, fear leads to the dark side, not Love. Love is the opposite of the dark. The problem is when you love someone so much, and they are threatened, you will do bad things to protect them. The greatest lesson I can give you is to love but never possess. I love you with all my heart, and I will always protect you, but I cannot fear losing you. Living that way would cause me to lose myself and then we would both suffer."

Luke nodded along, seeming to understand, "Daddy, how did you get so smart?"

"Must have been all the time I spent with Obi-Wan." Anakin said with a laugh.

"Who's Obi-Wan?"

Anakin went pale, "Obi-Wan was… the person who taught me to be a Jedi and we were very good friends. He was like a brother to me…"

"What happened to him?"

Anakin stared into those impossible blue eyes and fought to find peace in himself. "Well, after I… went to the dark, he tried to save me. He tried to get me to come back. But he couldn't. No one could. We got into a big fight and that's how I go… hurt. He left and I have a feeling he was the one who took you to your aunt and uncle." Anakin said the words fast, desperate to get them out. This conversation was getting harder by the minute. He looked down and realized his hands were clutching the chair so hard his knuckles had turned white. Anakin forced himself to release them. Luke, sensing his father's struggle, reached up and put his soft hand on his cheek. "Obi-Wan was my best friend and I betrayed him." The tears flowed again, and Anakin could hardly stand to look at his son.

"It's ok Daddy, don't be sad. I bet Obi-Wan would forgive you if you asked him. Aunt Beur says that if you do something wrong, asking for forgiveness is a good way to start making the wrong go away."

"Oh sweetheart, sometimes things are not so simple. I hurt so many people when I was in the dark, just asking for forgiveness wouldn't be enough. But maybe I can ask anyway, if I ever see him again."

Luke smiled, happy he could help his Daddy. "What was Obi-Wan like?"

Anakin grinned, the memories flooding his mind. "Obi-Wan was very smart and very kind. He was very good at seeing both sides of things but was still really strict about following the rules. He was responsible and reliable; he was also so much fun to tease."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, I would pull all kinds of jokes on him when I was growing up. He always said I would be the death of him."

Anakin noticed Luke was beginning to fade off to sleep. He adjusted the blankets and stroked Luke's hair. "Will you tell me stories about you and Obi-Wan?"

"Of course, but not tonight. You need your rest." At that point, Luke could not argue and drifted off to sleep. Anakin got up and switched the light off, and smiled.


End file.
